If you’ve ever wanted all of your data in one, searchable online location from any device, FileShadow is capable of doing that. However, it is expensive, and has some limitations.
FileShadow offers features such as automatic OCR, photo tagging, and the ability to import data from other online storage services and select Fujitsu ScanSnap scanners. However, it does not pull data from mobile devices and is very pricey.
FileShadow provides pure file storage as well as files-plus-email storage plans. Their plans start at $7 a month for 30GB and 10,000 files and go up to $90 a month for 1TB of storage. There is no limit on the number of devices that can access your account. FileShadow also offers a 100-file limit free version for users to test the service.
The useful features of FileShadow include consolidation and organization. The service will connect with and sync data from existing online storage accounts such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive. FileShadow also imports from Adobe Creative Cloud, Lightroom, and Slack, but does not support iCloud or backing up media from iPhones.
After syncing and consolidating your files, FileShadow automatically tags and geo-tags photos, as well as performs OCR on relevant files. Manual tagging is also available, and a granular search option makes finding files easy.
While FileShadow’s interface is easy to use once you’re up to speed, it is not dead simple to learn and can be functionally confusing. The dark, more “professional” look of the interface may not be to everyone’s taste. Additionally, the program assumes a familiarity with FileShadow’s approach that many users might lack.
When accessing files with FileShadow, there are subtle differences between the clients and some features don’t work as expected. The service uploads files quickly, but some users may encounter issues with the program.
In conclusion, FileShadow can provide a single, searchable online data repository for all your devices. However, it is very expensive and has some limitations that may be deal-breakers for some users.
